As instructors, making mistakes is the one of the best things we can model for students. But what if the mistake you made was saying something offensive? If this happens, there are things you can do to model being a responsible classroom community member.

Steps:

• Stay calm.
• Own your actions and apologize. (Start with “I’m sorry”, and not “I’m sorry, but…”)
• If you think a student misunderstood the point you were making, recognize the difference between intent versus impact. Just because you didn’t mean to say something offensive doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt.
• Normalize mistakes. (“This is a really good example of how we are all constantly learning. I have been doing this work for X number of years and I am still always learning and unlearning…”)
• Be transparent. If you feel nervous or embarrassed or defensive, try naming it. It is high risk for you, but it can be really valuable learning for a student. (“Wow, I notice that I am really nervous right now.”)
• Show gratitude. It takes a lot of courage for a student to give you feedback on the mistake you made. Thank them for holding you accountable.

To follow up on any of these ideas, please contact me at fglazer@nyit.edu. This Weekly Teaching Note was adapted from a contribution to the Teaching and Learning Writing Consortium hosted at Western Kentucky University.

Contributor:
Prof. Jen Matos
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Education
Teaching & Learning Initiative Faculty Fellow, 2018-19
Mount Holyoke College